From a
New York Times
bestselling author, astronaut, and fighter pilot comes a "full-throttle, adrenaline-laced espionage page-turner" (Jack Carr,
bestselling author) and Cold War thriller perfect for fans of
Top Gun
and
The Hunt for Red October
.
Israel, October 1973.
As the Yom Kippur War flares into life, a state-of-the-art Soviet MiG fighter plane plummets to an unexpected landing. NASA Flight Controller and former US test pilot Kaz Zemeckis watches from the ground—unaware that its arrival will pull him into a high-stakes game of spies, lies, and secrets that hold the key to Cold War air and space supremacy.
For within that plane is a Soviet pilot pleading to defect, offering a prize beyond value: the workings of the Soviets' mythical "Foxbat" MiG-25, the fastest, highest-flying fighter plane in the world. But trusting him is risky, and Kaz must tread a careful line. As Kaz accompanies the defector into the United States, to the military’s most secret test site, he must hope that, with skill and cunning, the game plays out his way.
Rich with insider detail and political intrigue drawn from real events,
The Defector
is a propulsive thriller from a growing master of the genre, filled with the nerve-shredding rush of aerial combat as it could only be told by one of the world's best fighter pilots.
"Wondering what to do until
Top Gun 3
arrives?  Don't worry, Hadfield's got it covered.” —Rowland White
“Brimming with detail and realism and full of pulse-pounding action.” —Mark Greaney
"Hadfield’s writing is superb. Fans of
The Apollo Murders
will seek out this one, but newcomers will also thoroughly enjoy it.” —
Booklist
Praise for
“A Cold War thriller packed with cosmic action.” —
“An exciting journey into an alternate past.” —Andy Weir, author of
The Martian
“Propulsive . . . a space race thrill ride.” —
Newsweek
“An intelligent and surprising nail-biter that Tom Clancy fans will relish.” —
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)